The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-28

fountain Tor your soul, i Just taste OF II
myself you will not begrudge me u drink
from the water Of the well OF Bethlehem,
which isby the gate.
"This gospel well, like the we'll spoken
of in the text, is well of Bethlehem.
David had known hundreds of wells OF
water but he wanted to drink from that
particular one aud he thought nothing
could slake his thirst like that. And I'M
less your soul and mine can get access 10
the fountain open for sin and uncloanness,
we must die. That fountain is the we'll Of
bethlehem. II was dug in the night II
was dug by the light OF lantern the star
that hung down over the manager. II was
dug, not ut the gate Of Cesar palaces, not
in the park of Jerusalem bargain maker.
II was dug in barn. The camels lifted
their weary heads 10 listen rs the work
went on. The shepherds, unable TO sleep,
because the heavens were filed with bands
OF music, came down 10 see the
opening OF the well The angels Of
God, at the frst gush Of the liv-
ing water dipped their chaliccs
of JOY into il, and drank 10 the health OF
earth and heaven, as they cried, Glory to
God in the highest, and on earth peace.
Sometimes in our modern barns the water
is brought through the pipes Of the city TO
the very nOstrils of the horses or cattle.
but this well in the Bethlehem barn was
not 81 much for the beasts that perish rs
Tor our race Thirst smitten, desert Travelled
aud simeon struck. Oh. my soul. weary
with sin, stoop down aud drink today out
OF that Bethlehem well!
"'As the hart pantcth after the water
brooks, 30 my soul panteth after thee, %
God. You would get better understand
Ing OF this amidst the Adirondacks in sum
mcr time. Here comes swift footed deer.
The hounds are close ON the track, II has
leapcd chasms and scaled cliffs; il il tagged
out; its eyes are coiling in death; itstongue
is loling from its foaming mouth buster
the deer, iaster the dogs, until il plungcs
into Schroon lake, and the hounds can iol.
low it no farther, aud Il puts down its head
and mouth until the nostril is clean sub
merged in the cool wave, and | under
stand IT, AS the heart pantcih for the
water brook, 10 pantelh my soul after thee,
q God Oh, bring me water from that
we'll Little child, who has learned Of
Jesus in the Sabbath school, bring me
some OF that water. Stranger in strange
land, who used TO hear sung amidst the
Highlands OF Scotland, 10 the tune Of Bon
nic Doom, The Star, the star OF Bcthle-
hem, bring me some OF that water. Who.
socyer drinkcth Of that water shall never
Thirst. oh, that one would give me drink
OF TIM water Of the well OF Bethlehem,
which isby the gate.
again, this gospel well, like the one
spoken Of in the text, IL captured well.
David remembered the time when that
good water OF Bethlehem was In
the possession OF his ancestors. His father
drank there, his mother drank there. lie
remembered how the water tasted when
he wits boy and came up there from play.
We never forget the old well We used To
drink out of when We were BOYS or girls
There WIS something In II which blessed
the lips and refreshed the brow better than
anything We have found since As We
think Of that dear old well the memories
OF the past flow into each other like crys.
tallinc drops, sun glinlcd and all the more
ns We pmcmber that the hands thai used
To lay bold the rope, and the hearts that
beat against the wcll.curb, arr still now
We never GET over these "reminiscences
George J.. Morris, the great song-writcr Of
this country, once said 10 me that his song. |
'Noodnian, Spare That Tree, was sung |
In a great conccrt.hall, and the memories |
oi early life were ~ wrought upon the |
audience 10y that song that, after the sing. |
ing was done, an aged man arose in the |
audience, overwhelmed with emotion, and
said: 'Sir, Will YOU please Ia tell me
whether the woudman really spared the
uceg We never iuryct the tree under
which We PLAYED. We never fongt tho
fountain 10 which We drank Alas Tor the
man who has no early memories.
David thought Of that Wtllathat boy. |
hood well and he wanted drink Of Il. |
bat lac remembered that the philistincs /
had captured H. When those three men |
tired o. come mp IN the we'll ia behalf of /
David they saw swords cleaning around |
abuut h. And this b. true of this pu.p,l /
VOL. The Philisiinc- have Ut time, cant. !
ufrd u, When We como Ia take a uu.
old fashioned drink ui parlon aud comfort
do not their swords Of Indignation aud sir.
casm iiish3 Why, the skcpiics tell "a.
that We can't come to the fountain. They
kay the water h not Nd Ia drink. nu,hoW.
III YOU nrc really thirty, nov. there * the
vel OF philosophy there h the well
al art, there h. the well of
tCiencc. They Try 90 substitute. instead
OF our huNhoOd faith, q modern mixture.
They say great many beautiful thing.
about the fiul, and they try 10 iccl our
immortal hunger ON peU leaves and mix "A
mint lulrp ot worldly limulants. when
nothing viii satisfy ~ hut "a drink ol thr
water Vt the well II Bethlehem, which l.
vt The gate. They try 10 Earyc ~ ON
hu.k. when the father banquet il n,adv.
aud tn beet ring Is taken from the caskct.
anu W" sweetest harp b struck for the
music ami the HWilirst foot h already
ill'a ipr The dance. They patrnnilp
heaven and abolish he'll, and Try a. meas.
utr eternity with their hour glass. aud the
hunc of Che mJIt God with their ward
slick ahhur II. tell YOU. the old cns.
Pei well b. captured well. | pray Tod
ihli iherr may hc somewhere In the elect
hus, thrc Amounted men, with cnuug,
enough tn rn forth IN thc strength ui the
"hniluitui bod, with thc rliitcrinV swords
81 iruih, 10 how the way back again tn that
gld welt ] think the tide l. turning, and
thal ihr n.d gospel b 10 take il place
again poo ibp llmly, and IN thc university.
ana 300 ilg legislative hall. Men have
ncl worldly philosophers, aud have found
oui lhai ihpy do not give any comfort, and
That thoy drup AN arctic midnight upon
the death pillow. They inil when there l.
dead chill Ia tho house, aud when the
soul comes 20 leap into the iathomlcs.
OCEAN 81 eternity, thCy give io thO man no,
- much a. broken tpar 10 cling 10. be.
pohd upon ", that well will come into our
POSSESSION again, though Il has been capt.
"ici II thrrc BE- not time nnointcd mon
~ lhc Lord. hosi With enough consccrn.
uoh lo DO The work, then the sworls will
hal nom JclO,ah's bucklcr, and the ctcr.
ma ihfrc VIII dCaccnd God the Father
'ol TIE Sun, God the Holy Ghost con.
querhg Tor our dying race the
Nay back again 10 the water Of